Here's the new chapter, finally. Sorry for the lateness, but real life kinda happened, and I got sidetracked. But no matter! On to the story!
"Ow, my back..." you pry your eyes open, allowing the first fleeting rays of sun to enter your vision. You arise in the same alley you fell asleep in, still wrapped in your coat to ward off the night's chill. You sigh, rubbing your head as you sit up to survey your surroundings. The alley has served as a shelter for you since you arrived in Ponyville. You stumbled upon it your second night in the town, immediately moving your meager possessions into the dank but homely recluse. A roof from the next-door tailor's shelters the enclosure from any elements, providing a near-perfect home for you.
Unfortunately, the cobblestone floor doesn't have much lumbar support, and you feel your spine snap as you sit up. "I'm gonna feel that tomorrow," you mumble as you rise to your hooves, shaking yourself vigorously to rid yourself of any loose dirt or Celestia knows what else that was sticking to the street.
Living on the streets isn't in the least bit glamorous, but when you travel so often, permanent lodging becomes an unnecessary expense. With money as tight as it is, just buying necessities is hard enough, let alone buying a house. You haven't given up hope, though: with every passing gig, your bag of bits increases in size. Eventually, you hope to buy a somewhat decent house and get off the streets for once. You can already imagine bringing Rarity over, having a candle-lit dinner, then snuggling next to a fireplace...
You snap yourself of of that daydream. Ah ah ah, you tell yourself, Don't dream about it; make it happen!
The self-pep talk does nothing to boost your mood though. Your back is still killing you, and you have absolutely nothing to do today. You make your way out of the alley, lazily cantering towards the town market, eager for some breakfast. As you round the corner, your eyes lock onto a familiar looking mare. You feel an chill shoot up your aching spine as you attempt to about face and run away.
"Oh, hello dearie!"
Oh no, you think, freezing in place. The mare in question walks over to you, an eager smile plastered on her face. "Oh, um... Hello Rarity."
"Hello!" she kisses you lightly on the cheek. "I didn't know you had planned to come to this part of town today!" her eyes squint suspiciously. "That's odd... you're covered in dust. You haven't been sleeping in any back-alleys, have you now?"
Her tone is playful, but quickly turns serious as you flash a sheepish grin. "Well..."
She immediately pushes her face to yours, her eyes full of fire. "Surely, you don't mean to tell me you've been sleeping in an alley for the past month... right?"
Every fiber of your being tells you to lie, but you simply can't bring yourself to do that. "Well, I guess I should be honest." You sigh. "Yes, I've been sleeping in that alley over there for the past month. I can't afford lodging at the moment, and it's honestly not that bad aside from the lack of arch support.
The look on your marefriend's face tells you she is about to faint. You tense up, ready to spring to her aid if she falls. Surprisingly, she wobbles slightly but stays standing. "Darling... of all the terrible things out there, that is simply. The worst. Possible Thing! Her dramatics never cease to amuse you, and even now you can't help but giggle at the mare's over the top theatrics. "I can't have such a fine colt as yourself wither on the streets." She grabs you in a magical vice and begins to carry you towards the town square.
"Woah!" you feel yourself begin to get nauseous as you are spun and twirled in mid-air. "Where in Celestia's name are you taking me?"
Rarity brings you down to eye level with her. Her eyes are brimming with a spark of determination as she formulates a mental plan before you. "We, my dear stallion, are going house shopping."
-------
"Wow... this looks-"
"Classy? Elegant? Luxurious?"
"Expensive." You stand inside of a massive three story home near the town square. The arching ceilings are supported by massive granite columns, each easily as wide as you. The entire home seems to be finished in gold and jewels, the precious metals reflecting sunlight into your face as you glance around the house.
"So what? Have you seen the upstairs spa room? It has seven hundred square feet of sauna. Seven hundred square feet!" she emphasizes her point by shaking you vigorously.
"I'm sorry Rarity but I just can't afford this one. For Celestia's sake, that pool over there is filled with gold!" You were never one to spring for luxury, and this house just didn't appeal to you in the slightest. As much as rarity loved it, you weren't about to go blow such an exorbitant amount of bits on a house you didn't want to live in.
Her ears droop at the news, the glow rushing out of her eyes as you deliver the news. "Oh well... I guess a solid gold pool is a bit over the top. " Her mood is only beset for a moment. That fire in her eyes reignites as she bursts through the front door in a flourish, attracting a few unwanted stares. "To the next house!" she practically shouts.
Your face turns bright red at the sheer amount of unwanted attention. "Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?"
Your seemingly rhetorical question is answered by a large scroll being shoved in your face. "Well, I've planned our romp through Ponyville right here. We'll hit every single open house in town. And it will only take us..." she looked at the position of the sun in the sky, then back down to her map. "45 hours, three minutes, and 24 seconds accounting for three hours of sleep and a bathroom break. Now, first we-"
"Rarity! Slow down!" you speak up over her now boisterous tone, gently levitating the map to you. "I don't need to look at every single house in Equestria, you know." You stare at the map for a few seconds, duly noticing that there are well over 50 houses on this list. She really went all out on this one, you think.
"Here, how about this one?" you point to the middle of the list. "It's got a loft, it's close to the music store, and it's pretty cheap?"
In response, she merely flicks you in the face with her tail. "Oh, pish posh. That's so boring." A deadpanned look from you tells her there is no negotiating this issue. "Oh, fine." she pouts with an exasperated huff. "We'll do it your way."
You snuggle up next to her, allowing your collective warmth to envelope you for a brief moment. "Thank you. I just want a nice, normal house. Not..." you sweep your hoof towards the mansion behind you, "all that. It's just not me."
Rarity rolls her eyes. "Well, you were always one for modesty."
You grab the map, content on making the trip to your potential house as quick as possible. The thought of having your own real house is actually starting to excite you. "Then let us not make haste. Partamos!"
She cocks her head to one side, giving you a confused glance. "What on earth are you saying, dearie?"
You sag your shoulders as your ears flop lifelessly around the sides of your head. "Never mind, let's just go.
-----
The house you have entered is a single story bungalow carefully placed near the center of town. It's most discerning feature has to be a small, transparent dome jutting out from the roof. "That must be the loft," you mutter as you walk in, followed seconds later by Rarity.
"Oh my. Are you sure you want this house? It looks so... uncouth, what with the loft and all."
You ignore Rarity's judgement and make your way into the house. "Let's at least look at it. I would love to see the inside, at least."
Rarity huffs, then follows you inside. The inside of the house is pretty normal as far as homes go. Freshly polished linoleum shines in the kitchen, giving the room an air of sanitation. The living room and aforementioned kitchen are separated by a half wall, giving the room an open and airy feel. A bathroom sits in the rear of the building.
However, the finite details of the home are lost on you, as you make your way to the place's most alluring feature: the loft. The only access is by a large wooden ladder leading up to a trap door. "Rarity, I'm going to-" you turn to realize Rarity is too concerned with the miniscule aspects of the house to notice the massive domed edifice. You shrug and decide to venture up yourself.
As you remove push the trap door and raise yourself into the loft, you notice several unusual architectural designs incorporated into the room. For one, the entirety of the loft is circular. The room itself is unfurnished, with deep brown hardwood floors slightly scuffed from use. But what really steals the show is the roof. The domed roof is made entirely of glass, allowing a three hundred and sixty degree view of the afternoon sky. When standing in the middle of the room, it looks as though the sky itself is your ceiling.
You stand in the center of the room, staring at the sky through the bubble of glass above your head. The walls are just high enough to obscure the rest of town, but low enough to give you an unparalleled view of the world above. Vibrant hues of orange and yellow thrown off by the sun dance around the room, burning through the tiny cloud layer and flitting about the room as they please.
As you gaze, transfixed by the movement of the sun's rays, Rarity decides to take a look at the loft. She enters with a soft clatter. "Hey, have you seen-oh my." She is left absolutely speechless at the sight of the multitude of sun beams parading themselves around the room, casting odd shadows that seemed to float around the room.
After several minutes of standing there, jaws agape slightly, you turn to her. "I think I just found my new home."
-----
You never liked paperwork, and as you just found out, buying a home involves a lot of it. You sigh, pushing the stack of papers away from you and setting down a quill. "There, all done. This house is officially mine!" Despite losing most of your savings in the deal, you feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that you finally have someplace to call home.
As you lean back on your haunches, a contented smile of your face, Rarity sneaks up behind you and plants a kiss on your cheek. "I'm so glad you like it, darling. I'll admit, it is a bit... spartan. However, we can rectify that with some shopping!" she says the last word in a sing-song tone.
You groan at the thought of more work. "I think I'll wait until tomorrow. It's getting late, after all."
Rarity takes a peak out one of the windows. "Hmm, I guess you're right."
You stand up and walk over to the now completed pile of paperwork and begin sorting it into smaller, more manageable piles. "You know, you're welcome to stay here tonight. It's a full moon, and we'll have a lovely view from the loft."
Rarity squee's in delight. "Oh, that would be simply magnificent! I would love to!"
You extend a hoof. "Then let us depart." she takes your hoof and allows you to lead her up to the loft. Once up there, however, a confused expression crosses her face.
"Um... where will we sleep? There's no bed."
You spread a blanket across the hardwood floor and flop down onto it. "Right here, silly!"
Rarity looked at you abashfully. "On... on the floor?"
You roll your eyes. You know your marefriend's phobia of dust is a tad bit excessive, but you just chalk it up to one of her quirks. "Yes, on the floor. Trust me, the view will be well worth it."
After some internal debate, she nods, and lies down next to you stiffly. You wrap your foreleg around her shoulders, and she relaxes slightly, allowing herself to snuggle up next to you. "Now, we wait for the show to start."
You needn't wait long. As the last fleeting rays of sunlight crawl up the walls and disappear, the sky seems to explode with a new light, this one white and opalescent. Millions upon millions of stars cascade into existence above you, throwing dimly lit shadows across the room. As the moon rises with the help of Luna's magic, it bathes the loft in white light. It almost looks as though the room is a blank canvas that somepony has doused in white paint.
You tear your eyes away from the spectacle and look at Rarity. Her eyes are completely lost in the vivid display of natural lighting. Not wanting to spoil the moment, you refocus your gaze on the aerial light show. You sit transfixed for what seems like hours, all sense of time lost as the simply majesty of the night sky gently begins to lull you to sleep. You attempt to keep your eyes open, but find the normally automatic task impossible. You sigh, and drift off, the pleasant aura of the room guiding you into peaceful slumber.
Well, there ya go. Blame my lateness on
1) My English essay on Civil Disobedience
2) TotalLostCause getting the song Pressure stuck in my head
3) My Marriage to Starfall (Yes I was being serious. You thought I wasn't? That's just silly, you silly.)